To Trust Or Not To Trust

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Whenever I think of a good life, it always includes strong relationships as one of its main points. Without other people, no single person can live an intentional and meaningful life without building strong, honest relations with other people.

Trust is a key part of that relation-building process. Without it, no meaningful relationships can be built. Alongside respect, trust is the key value of true interdependence.

I can't say this for the whole world, but in the country where I come from, no trust is the default approach to other people. Maybe it's a uniquely Polish thing, but right now, in times of uncertainty, I think more and more of us are becoming to react this way. No trust means we assume that other people are there only to benefit themselves, profit from us, and they're not worthy enough to be trusted.

I have come to believe that this approach to live is unhealthy. It limits our possibilities, may bring unnecessary emotional fatigue, and makes the world a less enjoyable place. You know, ain't no creation without connection.

I trust everyone. Whenever I meet a new person, I trust them by default. Maybe I wouldn't entrust them with my secrets right away, but I simply trust that they are a decent human with good deeds.

How naive, some may say. That approach makes you vulnerable, easy to exploit, right? Well, no. While it may let some particularly nefarious people use you in some ways, you can always lower the trust level and go away. And, of course, you can create clear differences between the default trust and earned trust.

An open mind leads to a virtuous life.